Odors are an inevitable part of every homeowner’s life, regardless of whether you cook at home, own a pet, use candles, etc.– everything has a unique scent that has the potential to last if not remedied in some way. A quick fix for unwanted scents is to invest in air fresheners or candles to mask odors from lingering smells. This article will go into more about why these scents occur and what we recommend to avoid them.
What Causes Certain Scents to Occur?
The human nose is able to detect over one trillion different scents, and these scents are formed when different chemical compounds come together to create a reaction. Scientists are able to recreate these compounds in the air fresheners we use today, like vanilla, apple, or clean linen. And thanks to our noses, food is able to taste as good as it does: smell and taste go hand-in-hand.
Why are some odors stronger than others?
This can be attributed to a few things:
- Genetics: some of us are naturally predisposed to be more sensitive to scents (known as hyperosmia)
- Hormones: during pregnancy with the increase of the hormone estrogen, some women experience sensitivity to certain fragrances
- In general, rotten foods are much stronger than other odors because of all the chemical reactions and the growing microbes and bacteria
These are just a few reasons why we perceive certain scents to be more intense than others. It’s important to remember that smells can stick to your clothing and furniture, so it would be best to deal with them as soon as possible to minimize their effect. Gasses have a tendency to stick onto clothing, walls, carpets, etc., which is why foul smells like cigarette smoke or gasoline can be a hassle to remove.
Another Factor That Affects Your Home’s Smell: Pet Odor
While food and trash are known as the common enemy among homeowners when it comes to bad odors (just take a look at any fragrance commercial), another huge factor is pets; as much as pet owners hate to admit it, as much as they love their pets, dealing with the odor molecules, especially from indoor pets, is a long-standing battle that is hard to win. Animals don’t have the autonomy to clean themselves as we humans do.
If your pets aren’t bathed often enough, have a change in diet, or have underlying health issues, these can all affect the odor they create. While there are quick fixes to mask bad smells with a fresh scent, it would be best to invest in long-term solutions and tackle the problem head-on instead of letting it fester. Given the small space that a condo has to offer, strong odors can quickly take hold of the air. Don’t wait until the smell becomes noticeable. Follow the tips below to eliminate odors and enjoy clean-smelling air in your home.
What Steps Can I Take to Prevent Odors in my Condo?
Before making a grocery trip to buy any air fresheners or essential oils, make a note of all the areas in your condo that produce foul smells that you would like to get rid of. This could be your pets, musty closets, kitchen, bathroom, etc. In no particular order, here are our tips for making your condo smell clean again.
1. Make Small Scent Improvements
You should make small changes to know what works and what doesn’t work. For example, if your cat’s litter smell doesn’t seem to be improving, try litter with natural deodorizers instead. Or, if you’d like a subtle scent in your living room, consider potpourri decor for inconspicuous. To eliminate odors when using the bathroom, you can even buy Poo~Pourri, a before-you-go toilet spray.
We all have our favorite scents. When you go to the grocery store, take a sniff of their available air fresheners to know which smell and what scent intensity suits you. Try to purchase air fresheners in person as much as possible unless you know undoubtedly what fragrance(s) you prefer.
You may even want to experiment with removing smells first before adding any. Bamboo charcoal is a great way to deodorize your refrigerators, kitchen, gym equipment, pet area, and more. It’s an absorbent material with odor-eliminating ingredients to help make your condo smell clean. Consider using this in your kitchen to prevent any cooking odors from spreading throughout your home, especially with smelly foods like tuyo.
In general, it’s best to lean towards products with plant-derived ingredients because they have longer-lasting scents than synthetic fragrances. This is also better for your health, your family’s health, and your pet’s health.
2. For Quick Odor Masking, Use a Room Spray
Spray air fresheners are a quick and easy way to mask odors from cooking, laundry, pets, or if you want to refresh the current scent. It’s important to remember to spray these around an area so that the fragrance isn’t concentrated on one area.
3. Set it and Forget it: Install an Automatic Air Freshener
Automatic air fresheners are time-based, not scent-based; they spray a fine mist of pleasant scent based on a timer. These can be set at 15-minute intervals to ensure that your set fragrance is continuous throughout your home. You can set up plug-in automatic air fresheners throughout your condo so that you don’t have to worry about managing the scent all the time. You can always spritz an air freshener spray if you ever feel like there isn’t enough fragrance.
If worrying about maintaining the air in your home, here are some of our recommendations for the best automatic air freshener:
- Glade Automatic Air Freshener: A leading brand in air fresheners and candles. They offer automatic plug-in air fresheners, car air fresheners, diffusers, and spray bottle fresheners for your convenience.
- Pura Smart Fragrance Diffuser: Level up your condo with a diffuser and nightlight combo controlled at the palm of your hand. Simply change the mood and switch the installed scents with a tap on the app.
4. For More Control, Look into Making a Homemade Air Freshener
The appeal of making your own homemade air freshener is that you can control exactly what goes in it. If there’s a specific smell you’d like to recreate, you can always take a stroll down the air freshener aisle for inspiration before making your own recipe. Popular DIY air freshener ingredients use natural products like fresh lavender and tea tree oil to absorb odors and leave your space with a fresh scent. Be sure to start with a few drops to start and check for any adverse reactions as some of these ingredients can cause allergies.
Regardless of if you make your own or buy it, always make sure to test air fresheners out before bulk-buying to ensure the scent intensity isn’t too weak or strong and that you like the smell, not just tolerate it.
5. Clean Your Home Often Using Your Favorite Scents
Stay on top of the sanitation of your home in order to prevent mold and bacteria from forming. This can definitely help you out in the long run because you’re putting a stop to any potential problems before they begin. Luckily, many cleaning products these days now come in a variety of scents, and even better that more companies are adopting the use of plant-derived ingredients/natural products.
Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day products are an excellent example of this, and they offer hand soap, dish soap, multi-purpose cleaner, and more.
6. Don’t Forget: Your Car Can Have an Air Freshener, Too
Your car is likely the second or third place you spend most of your time in. Just like your home, it can also develop unpleasant scents from food, trash, laundry, etc., which can be carried into your home. You can easily fix this by installing an air freshener on the car’s air vent, using a can air freshener, or a hanging air freshener.
7. If All Else Fails, Open a Window
Sometimes, the best air freshener is Mother Nature itself. If you feel the indoor air of your condo is getting stale, openig a window for a few hours can easily resolve that. This may be the quickest way to get foul odors out of your home, especially if you have a fan to help circulate the air.
How Long Do Air Fresheners Last?
No air freshener lasts forever, but by cleaning your home regularly, you can extend the lifespan of your air fresheners by a few days. Depending on the type you’re using, air fresheners can last anywhere from 1-3 days until 6 months, while some car air fresheners can last up to two years; spray bottles and essentials oils tend to have the shortest lifespan. Keep this in mind when choosing what type of air freshener that you want.
- Air Wick Gel Infused with Essential Oils can last up to 30 days
All these practices combined can help you achieve a clean-smelling home without a hint of any foul smells left by food odors. Test out what works for you by trial and error.
Written by Angela V. DelosReyes/ AVDLR
